Brian Singerman (born 1976 or 1977) is an American venture capitalist and businessman. He is a partner emeritus at Founders Fund, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm with over $11 billion under management. Singerman is known for his investments in artificial intelligence and biotechnology, including early backing of DeepMind and the record-breaking Stemcentrx exit.
Early life and education
Singerman graduated from Stanford University in 1999 with a B.S. in Computer Science. Following Stanford, he joined the virtual-world online start-up There as a software engineer.
Career
In 2004, Singerman joined Google, where he spent four years as an engineer and executive. At Google, he founded the personal web portal, iGoogle. During his tenure at Google, Singerman began his investment career, launching a $1 million fund called XGYC Fund, short for "ex-Google, Y Combinator."
Founders Fund
In 2008, Singerman joined Founders Fund, where he works alongside Peter Thiel and Ken Howery. He focuses on healthcare, biotechnology, wearable computing, and robotics. Singerman has been a board director for several companies, including Affirm, Cloud9, Emerald Therapeutics, The Long-Term Stock Exchange, Oscar Health, and Postmates. Additionally, he has served as a board observer for Airbnb, Forward, and Wish.
On December 3, 2024, Singerman announced his transition to the role of partner emeritus at Founders Fund, planning to continue as a strategic advisor while prioritizing a new work-life balance.
Notable investments
One of Singerman's most prominent investments was in Stemcentrx, a biotechnology firm focused on cancer therapies. In April 2016, AbbVie acquired Stemcentrx in a transaction valued at up to $10.2 billion, marking the largest portfolio exit in Founders Fund's history. However, in 2019, AbbVie shuttered Stemcentrx after its lead cancer drug, Rova-T, failed to outperform placebo in a Phase 3 clinical trial.
He has also been involved in investments in Oculus VR (acquired by Facebook) and Postmates (acquired by Uber).
AI investments and influence
Singerman has been a prominent investor in artificial intelligence companies. He led Founders Fund's investment in DeepMind, a London-based AI research lab, before its acquisition by Google in 2014. His interest in AI extends to machine learning and deep learning startups, reflecting a broader strategy of backing transformative technologies. Singerman's focus on healthcare and biotechnology also intersects with AI, as many portfolio companies apply neural networks and large language models to drug discovery and diagnostics.
Personal life
Singerman resides in San Francisco, California.
References
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